R.I.P.

[BDASH]

I just wanted to inform anyone who cares...my WJ has gone to god.

While doing a recce trip for the Jambo last Saturday, I slipped into a deep bog hole. Although it is a hole I've done a number of times over the last few months, it seems that someone had been in there over the previous few days and really churned up an exit/entry point. On closer examination (after I was out) there was a slow continual filling of this bog hole from snow run-off water. Whatever did the churning must have had larger diameters tyres than mine because the bottom of the hole gave way and I slipped all the way in (about 1cm below the rear step of my 70mm lifted WJ) and was sitting on the diff with all 4 wheels turning...going nowhere.

The freezing water made it hard to get to the recovery point and I'm presuming the temperature of the water started shrinking the door seals, because after about 4 or 5 minutes I started to take water in the cabin. This alone was annoying but not a huge concern...until I was being recovered. I was the lead car and unfortunately without a front winch or another way around the hole for another vehicle, recovery backwards was the only way out. Hindsight is a wonderful thing because in the same situation again there are a number of diferent thigns that would have been done (so I guess a wonderful training situation :wink:)and although the water was only a few inches above the bottom of the door in the foot wells, the angle of the recovery backwards forced a wave of water under the dash.

We decided to go a different way and put some temporary barriers at the hole to warn others. The motor seemed fine (sucked a bit but it never stopped) and except for an occassional large crackle from one of the speakers, there was no apparent problem with any of the electrics. I stayed with a friend just north of Jambo country on Saturday night, ready to go again on Sunday morning. We then spent 2 or 3 hours draining and repairing the hole so that we could use it for the Jambo. We redirected the water flow into the hole, created a drain that drained about half the water and rebuilt one side with a high rut and a more built of bottom by knocking off the crown to allow adequate diff clearance. The stero system decided to die completely mid-afternoon and the blower fan became stuck on High (even with the climate control system off)...was this the start of things to come???

I called insurance on Sunday night and took it to get looked at on Monday morning, they took a numebr of digital photos of everything and the insurance company (RACV) decided that it needed a live assessment. This happened Tuesday, they decided that it needed an auto elec to have a look at it, they did and I got a phone call just before 8am on Wednesday from the assessor..."Good morning Mr. Dashwood, unfortunately we are going to have to total loss your car"..."What?!?!?!?!?!?!?! but...yeah but..what the...yeah, but the...little bit...and the...um...F@#$!" After chatting to the auto elec and the assessor again, mid-morning Thursday the decision was final...TOTAL LOSS! So I arranged to rip the month old Mud Terrains and the Nudge bar off it and said good bye.

So, a week before the Jambo and I am no longer a Jeep owner. I am getting paid out (not great but OK enough I guess) but of course wont have a cheque until Thursday or Friday (the day the Jambo starts) so no way to get a Jeep for the Jambo...anyone got a spare Jeep their not using for a week in a week's time?

Lessons learnt: the (big) lesson learnt I guess is that no matter what anyone else has said about the obstacle, no matter what rating the track is supposed to be, no matter how many times you have done the obstacle, no matter how many times you've done the track, if something looks like it has the potential to be a problem, make sure you check it properly everytime! Other lessons learnt were about water penetration prepation/prevention of the vehicle, what water in the cabin does in a recovery situation, recovery direction and always insure for agreed value.

Cheers,
Brett...

[Saxon]

That is not good at all :cry: My condolenses to you and your jeep :cry:

[froop]

That's a damn shame Brett. Hopefully you can get hold of another one for Jambo, and a replacement one before too long.

Also goes to show that a car doesn't need to be in a bad crash to be deemed a write-off. After seeing the WJ in action after you dunked it in the bog hole, it surprised the hell out of me that the assessor wrote it off

[Jimmyb]

UM OK........ :?

[Jaffas]

:( :( :( sorry to hear

[BDASH]

UM OK........

Mate, I'm presuming this reaction is to the write-off option chosen by RACV.

As Froop wrote, I did a full day of more recce trips with no problems (other than the radio and the heater) on Sunday and the actual panel damage to the car wouldn't have cost $500 (rear bumber on recovery).

I'm still in shock myself :shock:

[billsta]

are they going to tell you exactly why it was a write off??

[PK]

Geez Brett - a very nice Jeep too - lifted Grand with Quadradrive....mmmmmmm

Does this mean we can roster you on duty 24hrs/4days?? Sorry mate, only joking.

I'm sure there will be plenty of spare seats going on trips.....

[Ben]

Maybe Jeep Australia will leave the keys in one of the display Jeeps? Surely you could take it out "just for a test drive??"

[goodol55]

man....what a bummer......talk about murphys law.....

Dont suppose your interested in buying the write-off and rebuilding it yourself - assuming they give you the option

[BDASH]

Dont suppose your interested in buying the write-off...

I can go to the public auction and try...but the problem is if the professionals think that it "might" be a problem, do I want to chance the unknown. The payout figure is about right so I haven't lost too much ground from when I bought the WJ in the first place.

I think I've decided to start again, I just need to work out whether I want a toy and a car, or go for a all time driver again like the Grand.

[BDASH]

are they going to tell you exactly why it was a write off??

"Potential for current and future electrical and/or mechanical problems from water damage"

...as you can imagine, I was pretty happy (NOT!) on Wednesday morning.

[BDASH]

:D :D :D Looks like I have a probable loaner for the Jambo :D :D :D

I'll know more on sunday and post more once I know.

...sorry Paul 4 days of 24 hours looks like it can't happen :wink:

[Cpage66]

Sh%t Brett, hate to hear that...But more importantly, how did the Buckshots go up until it got stuck??? :( :lol: (For all of those concerned that's a personal joke between me and Bdash as we both like Buckshots...)
I see in the above that you might get a toy and a car...like a TJ and something else for a DD???

[goodol55]

I can go to the public auction and try...


some policies allow you to first option to buy the write-off direct (ie last month teh mother-in law's car was stolen, trashed, recovered and they said we could buy it for $1500)...I just thought if they offered it to you cheap enough it would be worth looking in to.

I know exactly what you mean about which way to go with toy/car/driver thing......we always like variety hey :)

[BDASH]

how did the Buckshots go up until it got stuck

Brilliant...I actually arranged to take them off and put the old Good Year "Almost" Terrains on (lucky I kept them).

If things work out how I'm thinking at the moment (toy+car) then I wont be getting another WJ...which means that I should shortly have posted a cheap set of 5 almost new MAXXIS Buckshots, an almost new ARB stabiliser bar, and a WJ nudge bar.

[BDASH]

some policies allow you to first option to buy the write-off direct

I was seriously thinking about it (whether it was a buyout or at the auction) but now I'm thinking that maybe it was a blessing in disguise. I'm not that worse off dollar wise and with the 4x4'ing I like (mud...mmmmm...muuuuud) then I'm probably better off with something that can be thrashed around a little...and can take a some water without an issue. Obviously I don't want to take water again and I'll do a lot to prevent water damage...BUT IT WAS A FEW SECONDS OF A WAVE ON THE RECOVERY...HOW CAN IT BE WRITEN OFF!!!

...but I'm not bitter at all...

[PK]

Hey Brett - I enjoy having a toy and a DD - could be the way to go.....
If I was doing it again, i'd buy a CJ7 or 6 or something and have a play... :mrgreen:

[omaroo]

Sorry to hear the news BD :(

I would personally NEVER buy a water damaged car - especially a WJ. The electrical systems are so complex that you would spend literally YEARS working through the gremlins. It just 'ain't worth it - and knowing what DC want for spares... as you find that you need them.... wow - you'd be far worse off.

Hope you get another Grand.... I've had problems with mine, but I really love it.

[BDASH]

I enjoy having a toy and a DD - could be the way to go...

I'm tending that way...looking at an '84 FSJ on Sunday :) could be a real option...we'll see.

[BDASH]

you would spend literally YEARS working through the gremlins

yeah, that's what I'm thinking. If I was a mechanic or an auto elec maybe...but I the time and effort of getting it back to where it is OK, could defeat me. It may only be acouple of grand...but over the next year or two or more it could cost me another $20K...who knows???

Aside from the electrics, there seems nothing wrong with the motor, however I did have mud residue after at the top of the motor after the air filter...so who knows, may be I could spend a few grand on replacing all of the electrics to only have the motor go the next day...who knows???

...or whoever buys it could do it up for a couple of grand and have 20 more years of driving without a problem...I'm just not willing to take that chance.

[goodol55]

So Brett, looks like its time to start the "wake" then...here's lookin' at ya... :mrgreen:

[Navaho]

Sorry to here DBASH. It's always a worry, knowing that the NUCKLE HEADS will be going in there, with the biggest wheels they can find to play in the mud. It'll be interesting to see what happens to your car.

[xflow]

Bummer I really liked that Jeep

[wildturkey]

Damn :shock:.
Glad to hear insurance wasn't a hassle for you.

NEVER buy a car that's been drowned unless you're gonna do a total rebuild. Some things might work for the short term but over time corrosion will see to it that they fail.

Only thing i'd buy it for is spares. With a rear door 1/4 glass costing $500+ there would have to be some value in spares alone.

Good luck with whatever you end up with BDASH

[xflow]

Hey Brett what wheels / tyres has it got on it :) lol

[BDASH]

Hey Brett what wheels / tyres has it got on it

I did take the tyres off and if I buy something that they wont suit, I will try to sell them on the forum before I put them anywhere else. I'd prefer they went to someone on here or from the club before "just anyone". If so, it will be a less than 2 month old full set of 5 245/75/16 Maxxis Buckshot Mudders...going for a fairly nice price...stay tuned.

I left the (Silverblade 2) wheels on it. I asked the question, but the assessor said that he'd worked out the price with those wheels on it and was doing me a favour with the tyres...I wasn't going to push it :)

[froop]

Damn! You just had to wait until I bought myself five brand new Buckshots before writing off your Jeep, didn't you!?

[BDASH]

Damn! You just had to wait until I bought myself... Buckshots ...didn't you!?

Yep...it was all part of my master plan (add evil laugh here).

Look at it this way, I wont have sold them before the Jambo because I don't know what I'm doing yet re: my next Jeep...this way you have the right setup tried and tested before the Jambo and for use at the Jambo...I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted it any other way :wink:

Catchya on the weekend (and Froop...you ARE GOING FOR MORE THAN JUST THE WEEKEND NOW AREN'T YOU!!! :wink: )

[froop]

this way you have the right setup tried and tested before the Jambo and for use at the Jambo...I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted it any other way :wink:

Catchya on the weekend (and Froop...you ARE GOING FOR MORE THAN JUST THE WEEKEND NOW AREN'T YOU!!! :wink: )

Yep. And I'm certainly not someone who will wait an extra few weeks, when instead I can get it NOW!

And no, unfortunately I'll be rocking up Friday evening, and leaving on Sunday. All my leave is tied up with holidays later this year..

[xflow]

Such a nice car too

http://www.react-r.com/bdash.jpg

[BDASH]

Hey Keith, thanks for that photo...do you have any more :)

[MARXY]

Gees BDash - there are certainly injustices in the world. What track was it? I may want to steer clear of it. Hope a new jeep fills your drive way soon.

[xflow]

I'll upload them when I get home tonight for you.

Also have a video of you doing a recovery as well if you want a copy of that.

The web pics are resized to 25% of the original size. Full size the detail is awesome. I'll burn the pics and video to CD and give it to you at the Jambo.


Hey Keith, thanks for that photo...do you have any more :)

[thegurio]

Bdash .... that is nto good at all - however iof the payout was right and you didnt lose too much in the changeover it cant all be bad - at leasat your breathing!

As a matter of interest where exactly would it be auctioned off ;)

And what was the buy back figure they put with it

And jsut finally - you say that the radio and the fan were knackered, anything else?

[BDASH]

...What track was it?...

We spent a few hours repairing the hole the next day, so no need to steer clear. It is a track that was being recce'd for the Jambo, so if you go on one of the DOM DOM LOOP (C grade) or BLACK SPUR RUN (D grade) trips you'll use it and see it...unless someone has killed it again, but we made a good (solid) way to the edge that was still fun but safe. I had done it a number of times over the past couple of months and it was a "look bad but drive fine" type bog...how quickly they can become drive bads too :wink:

Back to my biggest lesson learnt, no matter how many times you've done a track/obstacle, no matter how easy it's supposed to be, and no matter who tells you it should be fine...do a proper check! I gues smy other biggest lesson is check your seals and double them up if you're going near water above door sill height. I should have been fine but the water was freezing and shrunk the seals...therefore no longer becoming seals.

[BDASH]

I'll burn the pics and video to CD and give it to you at the Jambo
Brilliant! Thanks.

[BDASH]

...it cant all be bad - at least your breathing!
Yes, although when the RACV assessor told me on the phone I'm sure I stopped breathing for a few seconds :wink:

...where auctioned off...buy back figure...radio and the fan were knackered, anything else?
No idea where being auctioned, but probably Fowles in Melbourne.

Buy back wasn't an option for me, if I want it I have to attend the public auction...and they are expecting $15K. I thought long and hard about this option, but the real issue is the unknowns. The radio and fan had gone already, what was next...what would be in 6 months, 12 months, 18 months...and after I finally got all the electrics sorted, how's the motor? It didn't stop through the whole thing and didn't show a problem the next couple of days (and no cream on the dipstick) but I did have muddy water at the top of the engine, is it a sleeper problem that could go in 6 months too (???)

Although it was a 1999, it had lived a good(ish) life as it had done over 230,000km's. It does have a near new OME kit and it did have a change over motor 12 months ago when an unnamed dealer did an oil change half way; the first half is taking the oil out, the second half is...anyway the motor blew and the changeover motor had done about 40K (now about 65K). This was info from the previous owner because I only got it in April this year.

If somoene on here does buy it and go for it, I wish them all the luck in the world. I went and spoke to the Auto elec who did the check with the RACV assessor the day after he checked it...as I was asking the question about what he thought, he was shaking his head and couldn't get it out quick enough "let it go, get rid of it". But of course there's always the possibility that someone is about to get a big bargain...but I don't think it will be me.

[thegurio]

Thats right - i remember that story now - and what a bargain it was, maybe it was Karma as you had a bargain and now the next guy might get one as well. Perhaps it might be an option to look around again.

Slightly off topic but interested none the less, how was it with over 200k's on it? were there any squeaks or rattles in it? I can gather you took it off road a fair bit and kowign off road melbourne no doubt it would have contained body crunching rocks and stuff... and how many k's did it ahve when you picked it up and did it deteriate at all in that time?

[BDASH]

Slightly off topic but interested none the less, how was it with over 200k's on it?

It was fine. I got it in April this year and I put on about 12,000 km's since then. But it was actually over 220,000km's when I grabbed it...but the motor had done less than 60,000. The long motor change over was because of a service issue mid-last year. Because it was a long motor change over and I'd had the suspension done (OME kit, the old/original suspension was shagged) everything was very good. So there weren't any squeaks or rattles to speak of (I went 4WD 2 or 3 weekends a month, which totalled about 15% of the driving time of the vehicle). The setup with the suspension, the muddy's (Maxxis Buckshot 245/75/16), the V8, and the Quadradrive, it simply went places that others didn't. The only time I had an issue 4WDing was when I diff'd out on tracks where others with bigger tyres and chewed things up...including my nemesis hole (that I have now done 3 times since :wink:). Hope that helps.

[BDASH]

BTW, anybody who's interested, I think I've decided to replace it directly with another WJ...if I find the right one.

[goodol55]

BTW, anybody who's interested, I think I've decided to replace it directly with another WJ...if I find the right one.

Smart man.

Have you considered the crd?
I spoke to many grand drivers at the Texas w/end - all crd drivers were absolutely rapt in the diesel. All the v8 drivers i spoke to (ok, only spoke 4 or 5) were impressed by the crd's to the point that they said they would go that way next time.
On the trails- steep climbs, steep decents - no performance difference.
On the highway - when full throttle overtaking from 90~95 - no performance difference.
Fuel consumption - crd -10.5~11, v8 16 to 23 :shock:

[BDASH]

Found one!

I have replaced it...exactly, it's even a white one.

Will be lifting it a little higher from the start (probably) so we'll see how things go.

Chat soon.

Cheers,
Brett...

[H.G]

good to hear mate.. will be slightly different to drive than J-bits old belter hey hehe.

[BDASH]

will be slightly different to drive than J-bits old belter

Mate, I was so thankful to them for letting me use that for the Jambo. It was an experience that I don't think I would have had otherwise. Although it made me realsie I wasn't ready for a "project" style Jeep (yet anyway) I do now appreciate where things have come i nthe last 20 years.

[Gildo]

Sold today at Pickles I believe, cant be to many 99 WJs that have been drowned? Talking to Jim @ Poly, he stopped bidding at 11k, dont know what it went for.

[BDASH]

Sorry Gildo, I've been offline since a few hours before your last post...yes, 6 or 7 weeks ago (sorry)

Thanks for the info :wink:

I'm actually planning on going to speak to the Poly guys about "things". I was going to ask them whether they ended up buying it or not...but obviously not.

Cheers,
Brett...

[MR EXTREME JEEP]

B-Dash in Doncaster Box hill area quite recently :?:
Has it come back from the brink of death?
Dude I hope so. It was a real looker!

[BDASH]

Extreme, I bought another one...exactly the same :wink: I live in Glen Waverley and have freinds and family all around the Eastern suburbs.

Still stock height and tyres, but I have put the nudge bar on now (organised with RACV that it was worth more to me if I took it off) and I have put some new Narva Optima Blue 175 lights on the bar (very nice light for the money!)

Lift was planned for Feb and I was going ahead with a TeraFlex 4" lift kit...but I've been doing a lot of searching and surfing in the US and I'm now questioning my quick decision to do the same as Billsta. Billsta has some good and bad comments about the kit and it seems that he's one of (if not the only one) in Australia to have lifted their WJ "properly".

[TIGGER]

BDASH, ever considered a clayton kit? www.claytonoffroad.com

they do stuff for grands...

[MR EXTREME JEEP]

Thats great news mate. Just quietly I think alot of people modify there car once and dont get a chance to do it again. And if they could they would do it differently. Well I guess you have that chance now. More time to research and all that stuff. Will follow your mods with interest buddy.

[BDASH]

ever considered a clayton kit?

I've just logged on here today and believe it or not I looked at the Clayton Offroad website this morning :lol:. The Clayton kits are definitely an option, but I'm looking at a fair few options right now. All of my options are going to require a decent sized import from the US, so I may be looking for others who want to jump on board a lot bigger shipment to possibly keep costs down for everyone.

Stay tuned...

[BDASH]

Will follow your mods with interest buddy

...and there'll (hopefully) be plenty of them in the short-tem future :wink:

[TIGGER]

ever considered a clayton kit?

I've just logged on here today and believe it or not I looked at the Clayton Offroad website this morning :lol:. The Clayton kits are definitely an option, but I'm looking at a fair few options right now. All of my options are going to require a decent sized import from the US, so I may be looking for others who want to jump on board a lot bigger shipment to possibly keep costs down for everyone.

Stay tuned...


Just FYI - ABT4x4 are importing the clayton kits at a very reasonable price www.abt4x4.com or talk to christian at jbitz...

[BDASH]

...or talk to christian at jbitz

...reason for my look at the site this morning :wink: